WENTWORTH, England: England's Chris Wood came from three shots back to win the European PGA Championship at Wentworth on Sunday.
The 28-year-old shot a final round 69 to give him a nine-under-par total of 279 and a one-shot win over Sweden's Rikard Karlberg, who stormed through the pack with a 65.
Masters champion Danny Willett was third after a 71 and two Frenchmen, Julien Quesne and Romain Wattel, joined South Africa's Thomas Aiken in a tie for fourth.
This was Wood's third win on the European Tour, after victories in Qatar in 2013 and Austria in 2015, and puts him in contention for a spot in Darren Clarke's European Ryder Cup team for the match against the United States at Hazeltine in September.
His score was built on the front nine which he covered in a tournament record-equalling 29 shots and at one point he led by four shots.
But he wobbled on the back nine, making bogeys at the 10th, 14th, 16th and the par-five 17th when he took four to get on the green, and came back in 40.
That cut his advantage to one over Karlberg but he made a solid par five at the last and landed the biggest title of his career when he holed from three feet.
Overnight leader Scott Hend of Australia had a nightmare start, going out in 41 shots, before dropping three more on the 10th and 11th to finish in a tie for 15th.
South Korea's YE Yang, who was out in the penultimate group, faded with a second successive 75 to finish 12th, while Englishman Tyrell Hatton, who was in the final group, signed for a 75 and seventh spot.
Karlberg, who was eight shots of the pace after 54 holes, went to the turn in 30, five under par, with his round being kick-started by a hole-in-one at the 154-yard, par-three second, as he fired a closing seven-under-par 65 to finish on eight under.
The Swede had bogeyed the first but when his nine-iron found the cup it sparked a run of four birdies in seven holes before the turn and a two at the 10th, followed by a birdie at the par-five 12th, before the birdies dried up.
Karlberg said: "It's a tough course. It takes a lot out of you. And I started with a bogey, I thought, 'oh well', but then I hit a great shot and it went in the hole. I got pumped after that and just rode that wave."
Karlberg looked to be a couple of shots light but Wood's near-collapse gave him hope until the Englishman held his nerve at the last.
Luke Donald, winner in 2011 and 2012, faded after his opening 68 with a last round 71 leaving him one under, level with Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell.
Defending champion Byeong-Hun An finished in a tie for 33rd place on level par.
Leading scores from the final round of the European PGA Championship at Wentworth on Sunday (par 72):
279 - Chris Wood (ENG) 72-70-68-69
280 - Rikard Karlberg (SWE) 69-74-72-65
281 - Danny Willett (ENG) 66-68-76-71
282 - Romain Wattel (FRA) 69-73-70-70, Thomas Aiken (RSA) 71-69-70-72, Julien Quesne (FRA) 69-74-67-72
283 - Andrew Johnston (ENG) 76-69-71-67, Fabrizio Zanotti (PAR) 72-70-72-69, Jaco van Zyl (RSA) 67-68-75-73, Martin Kaymer (GER) 70-70-70-73, Tyrrell Hatton (ENG) 72-70-66-75
284 - Pablo Larrazabal (ESP) 71-72-71-70, Benjamin Hebert (FRA) 75-69-70-70, YE Yang (KOR) 65-69-75-75
285 - Simon Khan (ENG) 69-73-74-69, Eduardo de la Riva (ESP) 69-72-74-70, Bernd Wiesberger (AUT) 76-68-71-70, Gregory Bourdy (FRA) 73-69-71-72, Jorge Campillo (ESP) 71-67-75-72, Lee Westwood (ENG) 71-70-68-76, Scott Hend (AUS) 65-69-73-78
286 - Andy Sullivan (ENG) 71-73-72-70, David Lingmerth (SWE) 70-71-75-70, Rafa Cabrera Bello (ESP) 71-68-73-74, Seve Benson (ENG) 70-73-70-73, Nicolas Colsaerts (BEL) 73-71-68-74
287 - Luke Donald (ENG) 68-72-76-71, Graeme McDowell (NIR) 69-73-73-72, Li Haotong (CHI) 74-71-71-71, SSP Chawrasia (IND) 71-73-70-73, Thomas Pieters (BEL) 71-70-74-72, Joost Luiten (NED) 65-74-73-75
The 28-year-old shot a final round 69 to give him a nine-under-par total of 279 and a one-shot win over Sweden's Rikard Karlberg, who stormed through the pack with a 65.
Masters champion Danny Willett was third after a 71 and two Frenchmen, Julien Quesne and Romain Wattel, joined South Africa's Thomas Aiken in a tie for fourth.
This was Wood's third win on the European Tour, after victories in Qatar in 2013 and Austria in 2015, and puts him in contention for a spot in Darren Clarke's European Ryder Cup team for the match against the United States at Hazeltine in September.
His score was built on the front nine which he covered in a tournament record-equalling 29 shots and at one point he led by four shots.
But he wobbled on the back nine, making bogeys at the 10th, 14th, 16th and the par-five 17th when he took four to get on the green, and came back in 40.
That cut his advantage to one over Karlberg but he made a solid par five at the last and landed the biggest title of his career when he holed from three feet.
Overnight leader Scott Hend of Australia had a nightmare start, going out in 41 shots, before dropping three more on the 10th and 11th to finish in a tie for 15th.
South Korea's YE Yang, who was out in the penultimate group, faded with a second successive 75 to finish 12th, while Englishman Tyrell Hatton, who was in the final group, signed for a 75 and seventh spot.
Karlberg, who was eight shots of the pace after 54 holes, went to the turn in 30, five under par, with his round being kick-started by a hole-in-one at the 154-yard, par-three second, as he fired a closing seven-under-par 65 to finish on eight under.
The Swede had bogeyed the first but when his nine-iron found the cup it sparked a run of four birdies in seven holes before the turn and a two at the 10th, followed by a birdie at the par-five 12th, before the birdies dried up.
Karlberg said: "It's a tough course. It takes a lot out of you. And I started with a bogey, I thought, 'oh well', but then I hit a great shot and it went in the hole. I got pumped after that and just rode that wave."
Karlberg looked to be a couple of shots light but Wood's near-collapse gave him hope until the Englishman held his nerve at the last.
Luke Donald, winner in 2011 and 2012, faded after his opening 68 with a last round 71 leaving him one under, level with Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell.
Defending champion Byeong-Hun An finished in a tie for 33rd place on level par.
Leading scores from the final round of the European PGA Championship at Wentworth on Sunday (par 72):
279 - Chris Wood (ENG) 72-70-68-69
280 - Rikard Karlberg (SWE) 69-74-72-65
281 - Danny Willett (ENG) 66-68-76-71
282 - Romain Wattel (FRA) 69-73-70-70, Thomas Aiken (RSA) 71-69-70-72, Julien Quesne (FRA) 69-74-67-72
283 - Andrew Johnston (ENG) 76-69-71-67, Fabrizio Zanotti (PAR) 72-70-72-69, Jaco van Zyl (RSA) 67-68-75-73, Martin Kaymer (GER) 70-70-70-73, Tyrrell Hatton (ENG) 72-70-66-75
284 - Pablo Larrazabal (ESP) 71-72-71-70, Benjamin Hebert (FRA) 75-69-70-70, YE Yang (KOR) 65-69-75-75
285 - Simon Khan (ENG) 69-73-74-69, Eduardo de la Riva (ESP) 69-72-74-70, Bernd Wiesberger (AUT) 76-68-71-70, Gregory Bourdy (FRA) 73-69-71-72, Jorge Campillo (ESP) 71-67-75-72, Lee Westwood (ENG) 71-70-68-76, Scott Hend (AUS) 65-69-73-78
286 - Andy Sullivan (ENG) 71-73-72-70, David Lingmerth (SWE) 70-71-75-70, Rafa Cabrera Bello (ESP) 71-68-73-74, Seve Benson (ENG) 70-73-70-73, Nicolas Colsaerts (BEL) 73-71-68-74
287 - Luke Donald (ENG) 68-72-76-71, Graeme McDowell (NIR) 69-73-73-72, Li Haotong (CHI) 74-71-71-71, SSP Chawrasia (IND) 71-73-70-73, Thomas Pieters (BEL) 71-70-74-72, Joost Luiten (NED) 65-74-73-75
